Chapter 111: Unfathomable Complexity Of A Middle-Aged Man’s World

Translator: Larbre Studio Editor: Larbre Studio

When Kimura Kazuki regained consciousness, it was already an hour later.

He supported himself with both hands, quickly stood up and surveyed his surroundings. He noticed Rei Takamori nodding off beside him. Rei woke up too when he heard the noise. He let out a sigh of relief when he looked at Kimura Kazuki.

“Kimura… are you alright?”

“I’m fine!”

Besides some slight sharp pain in his head, Kimura Kazuki had fully recovered.

Kimura Kazuki told Rei Takamori to wait for him outside as he re-entered Akichi High School. After going through the entire school, he did not find anything peculiar and exited through the school gate.

Rei Takamori was looking at him curiously, so he spoke leisurely, “I have exterminated the monster. I was investigating, just in case.”

Rei Takamori nodded his head in apparent understanding.

Then, the two of them resumed their journey. Kimura Kazuki told Rei Takamori about the demon at Akichi High School along the way.

Now, both of them knew the same about Akichi High School.

“I see. I never expected that Reika would turn into a wraith after disappearing five years ago…” Rei Takamori took a smoke. His expression was complicated. He felt relieved now, knowing that Kimura had gotten rid of the demon. He could not imagine the chaos that the demon would wreck if the demon had left Akichi High School. After all, it would not be suitable for sure. “As for the other female wraith you mentioned, I may know a little about her.”

Seeing Kimura Kazuki’s confused expression, Rei Takamori threw away his cigarette butt and stomped on it. He did not continue walking. Instead, he walked to a rock by the side and sat down. He waved and gestured for Kimura Kazuki to sit beside him and said with a forced smile, “Once you’ve reached middle age, even a few steps of walking will tire you out.”

Kimura Kazuki remained silent. Rei Takamori was obviously shocked by the Multi-armed Demon just now. He was agitated previously and had only relaxed when Kimura appeared. The fatigue must have hit him hard.

It was the same for Kimura too.

“Regarding the wraith that you mentioned just now, I think her name was Kiyomi Motohashi,” Rei Takamori lit up another cigarette, he spoke as he puffed through the smoke. “It’s the first case I handled 20 years ago. Kiyomi Motohashi and her mother were victims of domestic abuse. Her sister was the only one that escaped unscathed because she was a university student back then. Before Kiyomi Motohashi jumped to her death in the school compound, she was screaming her stepfather’s name. At that moment… I was at the scene, and I couldn’t save her. I used to think that if there really are ghosts in this world, Kiyomi Motohashi would definitely exact revenge on her stepfather.”

“Why?”

“Heh… You’re asking why she’d rather commit suicide without murdering her stepfather?” Rei Takamori smiled. “Some people are like that. No matter how much they hate or desire to murder those who torture them, they are not able to execute it when the moment comes.”

Kimura Kazuki kept silent. Perhaps, because the incident at Akichi High School had been solved now, he felt relieved. Yet, there was this faint indescribable feeling in his heart. He continued, “What happened to the stepfather? Was he arrested eventually?”

“No… he was murdered,” Rei Takamori blew out the smoke lightly, delightfully, he said, “he was murdered by Kiyomi Motohashi’s sister. I could never forget that scene. When I arrived at the Kiyomi residence, her sister was killing her stepfather with a fruit knife.” He recounted calmly, “I did not arrest her, I let her go. Kiyomi Motohashi’s stepfather was hated by the local community too. His murder was expected by many. The general consensus was that his death was good for everyone, and no one was pointing fingers at the murderer anyway. At the time, the precinct ruled it as a case of vindictive murder, and there were no further investigations.”

Kimura Kazuki did not say anything. Rei Takamori continued, “Shizuru Motohashi, who was Kiyomi Motohashi’s sister… Hmm, I think she’s called Shizuru Kitahara now. She has a family now, with a daughter named Reika Kitahara.”

Reika?

Kimura Kazuki stared at Rei Takamori in shock.

“That’s right! Reika, the one who was smeared by Nishiyama Chiyoko,” Rei Takamori said, something complicated in his tone. He calmed himself down after a while, “Five years ago, Reika had gone missing after the fire. The police had been looking around for her for a long time but to no avail. Who would have thought that she would be at Akichi High School?”

Kimura Kazuki was silent. The conditions for a body to hold two souls were simple yet demanding. The first condition was that there had to be a wraith. The second condition was that someone with blood relations had to sacrifice the body unconditionally. If the wraith and the body could combine together, only then the two souls could exist in the same body.

Their powers would increase once they formed the state. If they metamorphosed, their abilities would leap to a terrifying level.

He speculated that Kiyomi Motohashi must have found Reika first, and Reika must have offered her body to take revenge. After all, most people would feel vengeful after being violated, they could not seek revenge. The simplest and most effective way of revenge was to euthanize them. The anger could be transferred elsewhere if she was unable to do it.

“I feel much better now that I’ve shared it,” Rei Takamori let out a sigh of relief. His tired eyes were beaming, and he smiled as he looked at Kimura Kazuki. “How about you? You do not look happier even after destroying the demon.” He was not going to appeal for Kiyomi Motohashi and Reika, those two were now wraiths. Many girls died mysteriously during the time when Kiyomi Motohashi was there.

So, Rei Takamori had no time to ponder over philosophical questions. He was telling Kimura Kazuki this to vent out these dust-sealed stories. It was comforting. Everything he encountered tonight had also changed his perceptions.

There really are ghosts and spirits in this world.

“I don’t look happy?” Kimura Kazuki laughed lightly and asked curiously, “How could you tell?”

“A feeling of a middle-aged man,” Rei Takamori pointed at his heart in jest.

“You are right to a certain extent,” Kimura Kazuki said faintly. “I’m just feeling a bit lost.”

He had been running around for the incident at Akichi High School. Now that it had been solved, he felt slightly empty. He felt like his investigation had been all for nothing, but was it not his initial intention to destroy demons and elevate his skills? Although there were some variables on the way, he had achieved his goal now. There was no reason to be discontent.

Of course, he felt something about the incident in Akichi High School. It was a total tragedy and had definitely moved him.

Rei Takamori hissed, “I see that you have reached puberty.” He was going to dole out advice as an adult.

“Perhaps,” Kimura Kazuki said noncommittally. The two of them stood up and resumed their journey. He looked at Rei Takamori and voiced his concerns, “What about you, Inspector Takamori? Why are you here late at night?”

“I’m here to make an offering for my niece,” Rei Takamori pulled out his box of cigarettes. He wanted to take another smoke, but he had run out of them. He pursed his lips and said, “My niece was also a student of Class Four of the sophomore year and died in the fire. Her parents died early, so I took care of her. My niece used to say that she would like to be buried at Akichi High School when she’s dead, as that was where she gained her knowledge.”

“Oh.”

“After all, I have said, all you could give me was an oh. Can’t you give me some other expressions?”

“I see no sadness in your eyes, why should I be sad as an outsider?”

“I am just introverted. Besides, I have too much stress as a middle-aged man. I don’t have time to be sad.”

“But, your expression changed when you were talking about Shizuru Kitahara.”

“…I did have a secret crush on her before. I still visit her from time to time. Is it wrong for me to have some affection for her?”

“Emotional affair?”

“This is the complexity of a middle-aged man’s world. You could not understand it for you’re still young.”

“Hehe.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep